The present invention relates to a self-service terminal (SST), such as an automated teller machine (ATM). In particular, the invention relates to an ATM for depositing cheques, whether or not cash is dispensed to the user.
A cheque cashing ATM allows a registered user, who typically does not have a bank account, to cash a cheque and receive money from the ATM in a public access, unattended environment. A user typically registers with an institution that owns or operates cheque cashing ATMs, and provides identification information (such as a social security number) and information about a cheque (usually a pay cheque) that he/she regularly receives. The registered user is typically provided with a card to initiate a cheque cashing transaction at a cheque cashing ATM.
To cash a cheque, a user enters his/her card at a cheque cashing ATM, then enters a cheque to be cashed through a cheque slot in the ATM's fascia. The ATM draws in and processes this cheque. If the cheque is valid, and the details printed on the cheque match the cheque information provided during registration, then the ATM informs the user of a surcharge that will be applied if the user wishes to cash the cheque.
If the user agrees to the surcharge then cash is dispensed to the user and the cheque is stored within the ATM. If the user does not agree to the surcharge then the cheque is returned to the user via the cheque slot.
The cheque may be returned to the user for other reasons, for example, if the cheque is not complete, if the cheque has not been endorsed by the user, if the ATM decides that the details printed on the cheque do not match the cheque information provided by the user during registration, and such like.
On other embodiments cheques can be cashed or deposited in a user's account without the aforementioned logging of regular cheques.
The use of such terminals for depositing cheques, which are to be credited to an account, is restricted in part due to customer unease in depositing their cheque at an automatic terminal. This problem has been addressed in a number of ways including printing a receipt for the user. However, there still persists a large degree of uncertainty and unease for some users who dislike depositing a cheque automatically for fear of a technical problem resulting in their account not being credited correctly.